The Executive Order released by the White House on August 10, 2026, undermines trust in childhood vaccines by promoting narratives that are not supported by the weight of scientific evidence and may ultimately prevent families from providing the best protection for their children against preventable diseases, illnesses, and death.
The Executive Order contradicts not just the existing scientific consensus, but also the stated goals of the Administration’s “Gold Standard” for childhood vaccinations, such as aligning vaccine recommendations with other peer, developed countries.
AAI and its expert members are particularly concerned with the following five points:
1. Splitting the MMR vaccine would increase the total number of vaccine doses
The Executive Order’s recommendation to replace the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine with three separate vaccines directly contradicts its stated goal of reducing the number of shots a child receives. Currently, children receive two MMR vaccinations during the first five years of life, one between 12-15 months and one between ages 4-5. Under the recommendation outlined in the Executive Order, children would instead require six separate injections and potentially six separate doctor’s appointments.
The MMR vaccine was combined more than 50 years ago specifically to reduce the number of shots and physician visits while ensuring children receive timely protection against three potentially serious diseases. There is no evidence that administering separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines is safer or more effective than the combined MMR vaccine, which remains one of the most successful and effective public health tools in history.
2. More visits to the doctor mean greater costs and barriers for families
The Executive Order does not acknowledge the practical consequences of requiring additional vaccination visits. For many families, especially those facing transportation, scheduling, childcare, or work constraints, additional appointments create significant burdens.
More visits can mean additional co-pays and medical expenses and more time away from work for parents (1; 2). These barriers disproportionately affect working families and communities already facing challenges in accessing healthcare.
3. The Executive Order creates complexity without demonstrated benefit
Separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines are not currently available in the U.S. Implementing this proposal would require vaccine manufacturers to establish new production systems, conduct additional testing, navigate regulatory review, and build supply chains for products that currently do not exist domestically. In addition, manufacturers have little incentive to undertake such an expensive and time-consuming endeavor without scientifically demonstrated benefit.
Separate vaccines administered at different appointments also increases the likelihood of delayed or missed vaccinations without any demonstrated medical benefit (3; 4). Researchers and public health experts have repeatedly noted that increasing the number of required visits can reduce vaccine completion rates and leave more children vulnerable to preventable diseases.
4. The suggestion that children receive “too many vaccines” misrepresents the science
The Executive Order repeatedly emphasizes that the United States recommends more vaccine doses than most other countries. In truth, the U.S. falls within the same range of vaccines administered as most peer nations (5).
Vaccine recommendations are determined based on disease risk, vaccine effectiveness, and safety data. Children today are protected against more diseases because science has provided safe and effective tools to prevent illnesses that once caused widespread suffering, hospitalization, and death.
Framing vaccine recommendations around the number of shots rather than the health outcomes they prevent risks creating the false impression that less shots, shots against just one pathogen, or shots spread out, somehow improves health outcomes. Scientific evidence does not support that conclusion.
5. The Executive Order reinforces longstanding misinformation about vaccine safety
Several provisions in the Executive Order, including calls to replace aluminum-based adjuvants and to administer each childhood vaccine at separate medical visits are not supported by scientific evidence.
Aluminum-containing adjuvants have been used safely in vaccines for decades (6). Likewise, extensive research has found no evidence that the MMR vaccine (which does not contain aluminum-based adjuvants), or any other vaccine, causes autism, and there is no evidence to suggest that separating routine childhood vaccines would provide any benefit.
In Conclusion
Parents deserve accurate information grounded in rigorous science. Efforts outlined in the Executive Order will make it more difficult for parents to get their children vaccinated and will erode public trust in one of the most successful public health achievements in history. That’s why AAI is reaffirming that the childhood vaccines and immunization schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics are safe, effective, and continue to prevent millions of illnesses and deaths worldwide (7; 8).
References
1. Physician response to parental requests to spread out the recommended vaccine schedule. Kempe, Allison. 2015, Pediatrics, pp. 135(4):666-77.
2. Parental delay or refusal of vaccine doses, childhood vaccination coverage at 24 months of age, and the Health Belief Model. Smith, Philip J. 2011, Public Health Rep., pp. 126 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):135-46.
3. A population-based cohort study of undervaccination in 8 managed care organizations across the United States. Glanz, Jason M. March 1, 2013, JAMA Pediatr., pp. 167(3):274-81.
4. Parents with doubts about vaccines: which vaccines and reasons why. Gust, Deborah A. Oct 2008, Pediatrics, pp. 122(4):718-25.
5. Vaccine Integrity Project. Viewpoint: The myth of an over-vaccinated America: The US DOES follow global consensus. CIDRAP. [Online] Dec 22, 2025. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project/viewpoint-myth-over-vaccinated-america-us-does-follow-global-consensus.
6. The Role and Safety of Aluminum Adjuvants in Childhood Vaccines. Nirenberg, Edward. Feb 25, 2026, Pediatrics, p. 157 (3).
7. American Academy of Pediatrics. AAP Immunization Schedule. AAP. [Online] 2026. https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/AAP-Immunization-Schedule.pdf.
8. Contribution of vaccination to improved survival and health: modelling 50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization. Shattock, Andrew J. May 25, 2024, The Lancet, pp. 2307-2316.
